Of the three primary indexes – the Georgia Dock, Urner Barry index, and the index compiled by the Federal Department of Agriculture (FDA) – used to help set chicken prices, two of them hovered around $0.72 a pound at the end of October. The Georgia Dock index, however, was at $1.10 a pound. This 30 percent gap recently came to the surface and has prompted investors to pose serious questions

As reported by the Washington Post, a significant portion of chicken sold to retailers is based on the Georgia Dock price. Every week Arty Shronce makes a calculation that gives big retailers – such as Walmart and Safeway – an average price for a pound of chicken.

Are chicken prices artificially high?

Where does this high diversion in price come from? It turns out that there’s a reason for this. While the Urner Barry index and the index compiled by the FDA are working to validate the information they get from chicken producers, Georgia Dock does not.

Today, the Georgia Dock index is based on data from 10 of the 11 companies that process poultry in the state. Once a week, Schronce calls facility managers to retrieve information to set the average price per pound of poultry sold.

But how correct are the calculations of a gardening blogger who, according to critics, does not do enough to verify the data he receives. Furthermore, two of the largest American chicken producers – Pilgrim’s Pride and Tyson Foods – seem to have too much sway over how the Georgia Department of Agriculture calculates the chicken price index.

So if the largest chicken producers are telling the Georgia Dock which prices they should use and the information isn’t properly verified, there is a good chance that the prices of chicken meat are artificially high.

Also, data shows that most of the chicken consumed by Americans comes from supermarkets who generally use the Georgia Dock index, so the chances are high that you are paying a lot more for your chicken then you should. (RELATED: Discover more news about fresh food ingredients at Fresh.news)

Georgia Dock doubts itself

Maybe the most remarkable thing about the whole chicken price story is that it was Arty Schronce himself to blow the whistle on his own pricing index. In a memo written to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, he said that he had come to “question the validity of some of the information provided” by local chicken producers. Furthermore, he honestly stated that his training was inadequate, inconsistent, and sometimes in error. Furthermore, he noted that the companies he was required to survey were sometimes unresponsive.

“I often received lackadaisical and rude responses to my requests for information,” Schronce wrote. Sometimes his calls were not returned, or the companies simply responded to his price questions with “just keep ’em the same.”

According to Schronce, it was not the first time he voiced these concerns. He said that he takes his job very serious. However, he noted that it is no longer in his power to do it adequately and blames the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the reporting poultry companies for the misleading prices.

In their defense, McPeake, of the Georgia Department of Agriculture, said a review process began in December 2015 after “serious concerns” emerged. She added that even though Schronce’s training “may have been abridged due to unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances, every effort was made to ensure that he was indeed trained on some level.”

As stated by The Wall Street Journal, Georgia Dock has apparently responded to their shortcomings and will require companies to submit additional data to verify the accuracy of the information.

Sources:

ZeroHedge.com

WashingtonPost.com

NYTimes.com

WSJ.com

Scribd.com

Researchers from the charity analyzed data from a national diet survey that had been conducted in 2015. What they found was that across all age groups, children are consuming far too much sugar in drinks, although there did seem to be an improvement since 2014. For teenagers, sugar-sweetened beverages are their primary mode of consuming added sugars. (RELATED: Learn more about disease promoting food ingredients at Ingredients.news)

According to the BBC, a five-year-old child should have no more than 19g of sugar in a day, a 10-year-old no more than 24g. Teenagers and adults should have no more than 30g. And yet, a single can of soda contains 9 teaspoons of sugar — equivalent to 35 grams!

The survey data analyzed indicates that teens in the UK consume more than 234 cans of soda per year, on average. National Diet and Nutrition Survey data from 2008 to 2012 indicates that the average teenager in the United Kingdom consumes 74 grams of added sugars every day, which equates to 15.6 percent of their total calorie intake. A staggering 40 percent of that added sugar comes from soft drinks.

Of course, teens in the United States have not fared much better. Reports have indicated that adolescents in the US get a whopping 20 percent of their total daily energy intake from added sugars. Half of that sugar comes from sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas, sports drinks and energy drinks. What happened to drinking water?

Mass overconsumption of sugar is a problem in both the United States and the United Kingdom — that is very clear. There are many ill effects associated with excessive sugar intake. The current prevailing theory suggests that taking in too many calories will increase your risk of becoming overweight or obese — and it is this obesity that increases your risk of diabetes. Many scientists are still debating on whether or not sugar can increase your risk of developing this condition as well, but the evidence is surely mounting.

Researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine, the University of California-Berkeley and the University of California-San Francisco examined ten years of data from 175 different countries and their findings were published by the journal PLOS One in February 2013. This large-scale epidemiological study has indicated that sugar consumption can indeed influence your risk for developing diabetes, independent of your body weight.

The study’s lead author  Sanjay Basu, MD, PhD and assistant professor of medicine at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, says that their data suggests that at a population level, there are additional factors that can contribute to diabetes risk besides obesity and total calorie intake.  While Basu says that their findings do not diminish the importance of obesity as a risk for diabetes, he states that sugar appears to play a prominent role.

Their findings were really quite shocking. Their data revealed that for every additional 150 calories of sugar available per person per day, the prevalence of diabetes in the population rose 1 percent, even after controlling for obesity, physical activity, other types of calories and a number of economic and social variables. Conversely, 150 additional calories from any type of food only created a 0.1 percent increase in diabetes prevalence.

In other words, sugar has ten times the impact of other foods on diabetes risk, at a population level. More shocking still, is the fact that the researchers also found that the longer a population was exposed to excess sugar, the more this risk continued to increase. The diabetes rate continued to increase along with time exposed to excess sugar, independent of other risk factors like obesity. However, when sugar availability diminished, diabetes risk also decreased, independent of other changes to calorie consumption, physical activity or obesity rates. (Learn more about diabetes science at DiabetesScienceNews.com)

This finding demonstrates the very real risk that excessive sugar consumption poses. Some research has indicated that teenagers may be particularly susceptible to effects of sugar, as well.

It is clear that kids today, and adults, are eating way too much sugar, and it is putting their health at serious risk.

Sources:

BBC.com

Med.Stanford.edu

BBC.com

TakePart.com

While most of us are aware that every mouthful of a McDonald’s meal contains fat-promoting ingredients, we often don’t realize how many chemicals are in there too. Let’s look at 10 horrifying ingredients that should flip your appetite for a Big Mac. (RELATED: Learn more about toxic food ingredients at Ingredients.news)

1.      Ammonium sulfate

Ammonium sulfate is an inorganic salt used as a fertilizer and flame retardant, and it is also added to Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide. But did you know that ammonium sulfate can also be found in a burger bun? This nasty chemical has been associated with irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea, nausea and hormone disruption.

2.      Silicone oil

If you are a chicken nuggets lover then you are a regular consumer of dimethylpolysiloxane, also known as silicone oil. Silicone oil is a synthetic material used to make contact lenses, caulking, silly putty and lubricants. The use of this non-biodegradable oil has been decreased in breast implants due to safety concerns.

3.      Cysteine-L

Cysteine-L is an amino acid synthesized from human hair or duck feathers. It is used to flavor meat and soften bread and pastries. Consumption of cysteine-L has been linked to constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, rashes, fever, headaches, drowsiness, low blood pressure and liver problems.

4.      TBHQ

TBHQ, or tertiary butylhydroquinone, is a petroleum-based additive found in cosmetic products and 18 different McDonald’s menu items. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified this chemical as totally safe for human consumption, long-term use can result in aggravation of ADHD symptoms, stomach cancer, damaged DNA and death.

5.      Propylene glycol

Found in anti-freeze, e-cigarettes and fast food, propylene glycol can cause damage to the central nervous system and worsen existing allergies and eye and skin conditions.

6.      Prescription drugs

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University found alarming levels of antidepressants and other prescription, over-the-counter and banned drugs in chicken feed and chicken products from fast food restaurants. Because McDonald’s doesn’t use organic chicken, their chicken products very likely contain traces of prescription medications or antibiotics.

7.      Dimethylpolysiloxane

Dimethylpolysiloxane is often added to cooking oils used to prepare McDonald’s filet-o-fish, chicken nuggets and French fries. Besides being found in most fried fast foods, dimethylpolysiloxane is also utilized in the production of silly putty, contact lenses, caulking, shampoos and conditioners, breast implants, cosmetics, polishes and heat resistant tiles.

8.      Carminic acid

Carminic acid is a red food dye synthesized by cochineal beetles. It is often added to fast food meats to give them a more vibrant and appealing color. Until 2009, carmine, cochineal extract or natural red 4, were classified as “natural dyes.” These days, however, the FDA requires carmine and cochineal extract to be explicitly identified in ingredient lists because they can cause severe allergic reactions in some people.

9.      Cellulose

While cellulose may be a natural product produced from wood pulp, who wants to eat lots of indigestible wood fibers? Cellulose is added to nearly every fast food item as a way to add volume. It can be found in cheese, salad dressing, muffins and strawberry syrup, among many others. You name it, and chances are wood pulp is in there.

10.  Silicon dioxide

Also known as silica or industrial sand, silicon dioxide is used to make glass, optical fibers and cement. The fast food industry often adds it to meat and sauces to keep them from clumping together. In an industrial setting, workers handling silicon dioxide wear hazmat suits and masks. Nonetheless, the FDA sees no harm in adding this industrial chemical to your burger bun.

Still lovin’ it? Next time you are looking for a quick meal, you may want to think twice before heading to the closet McDonald’s restaurant.

Sources:

RealFarmacy.com

RealFarmacy.com

Gallup.com

Top10GrocerySecrets.com

DavidWolfe.com

LiveScience.com

The additives in question, called emulsifiers, are used to increase the shelf life and improve the texture of processed food. (See more news about hazardous food ingredients at Ingredients.news)

Colon cancer is the fourth most lethal form of cancer worldwide. It kills about 700,000 people per year.

The new study is part of a growing field of research into the microbiome, the roughly 100 trillion microorganisms that coexist with the human body — particularly in the gut — and play critical roles in regulating everything from metabolism to immune function and even mood.

The microbiome-inflammation-cancer link

Prior studies have shown that people who suffer from a variety of metabolic and bowel conditions, including metabolic syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), have abnormal microbiome compositions.

One study, conducted by the same Georgia State University team in conjunction with other researchers, found that the emulsifiers polysorbate 80 and carboxymethylcellulose caused inflammation-promoting changes to the gut microbiomes of mice. In mice with healthy immune systems, this increased inflammation led to metabolic syndrome. In mice with abnormal immune systems, it led to chronic colitis, a type of IBD. These effects did not occur in mice whose microbiomes had been eliminated using antibiotics.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of symptoms associated with increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia and liver cancer. IBD is a risk factor for colon cancer.

Other research has shown that consuming food containing emulsifiers causes more bacteria to cross the epithelial cells that line the gut, another risk factor for colon cancer.

The incidence of IBD, colon cancer and the diseases linked to metabolic syndrome have all increased dramatically since emulsifiers were introduced in the mid-20th century.

Emulsifiers promote tumor formation

Because studies have also shown abnormal microbiomes in people with colon cancer, the researchers decided to look directly at emulsifiers and colon cancer risk. They once again fed polysorbate 80 and carboxymethylcellulsose to mice, in concentrations similar to those found in processed food. As before, they found that the composition of the animals’ gut microbiomes changed to favor inflammation.

Specifically, the microbiome shifted to include more bacteria that release higher levels of flagellin and lipopolysaccharide. These chemicals, in turn, trigger the immune system to produce inflammation.

Using a well established colorectal cancer model, the researchers found that the inflammatory environment in the mice’s guts was enough to significantly increase their risk of developing colonic tumors, by shifting the cellular balance toward proliferation and away from apoptosis (programmed cell death).

These changes did not occur in mice without microbiomes. When the microbiomes of the emulsifier-fed mice were transplanted into microbiome-free mice, however, those mice also developed changes in epithelial cell homeostasis suggesting increased cancer risk.

The researchers are now investigating which microbiome species in particular mediate the observed changes, and how they do so.

The study is good news, in a sense, providing one more easy way to dramatically cut your risk of colon cancer.

Though highly deadly, colon cancer is also highly preventable. The disease’s major risk factors include lifestyle factors like smoking, high alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity, obesity and a diet high in red and processed meats. Cut these toxic habits and lengthen your life.

There is also strong evidence that boosting your intake of fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains can dramatically decrease your risk. Fiber supplements do not seem to have the same effect, however. (RELATED: Learn about healthy food choices at Fresh.news)

In addition to reducing your colon cancer risk, these lifestyle changes will improve your overall bowel health and lower the risk of other chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cancer.

Sources for this article include:

BeforeItsNews.com

EurekAlert.org

Cancer.org

NaturalNews.com

There is no pill, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or miracle vaccine that will ever change these statistics. In fact, as long as Americans believe that medical doctors can change these chronic sicknesses with “magical” medicine, the disease and death statistics will all continue to rise as the mythical “search for the cure” continues across the board. The only real cures live in the prevention and lifestyle changes that fuel a healthy body on a daily basis.

Want to live in a “dream world” that reaps horrific consequences? Simply continue to participate in the top eight consumption habits that nearly guarantee chronic illness.

#1. Eating “diet,” “light,” and sugar-free products loaded with artificial sweeteners – namely Aspartame, Sucralose, Saccharine and Sorbitol

All four of these fake sugars are synthetic chemical concoctions made in a laboratory that mutate human cells, cause irritable bowel syndrome and central nervous system disorders, especially aspartame, a.k.a. “sweet misery.” Veer clear of Nutrasweet, Equal, Sweet-n-Low, and of course, Splenda.

#2. Daily canola oil – even organic

Did you know there is no such thing as a natural canola plant? It doesn’t exist in nature. So how is it the number one Canadian export, and why is the United States the recipient of this man-made scientific nightmare? Canola comes from rapeseed, which stinks so badly that it must be deodorized in a processing plant using chemicals that cause cancer. Even organic canola is toxic to the human body, so don’t get fooled there. Just because the seeds aren’t genetically modified and the plant isn’t sprayed with chemical fertilizers in the field doesn’t mean it’s always healthy to eat. Canola is processed with a petroleum solvent called hexane to extract the oil. Hexane is a vapor constituent of gasoline. Yum!

#3. Daily gluten

Gluten, also known as “food glue” because it’s “sticky” and can remain in your digestive and excretive “tracts” for days and weeks. Most conventional gluten is loaded with pesticides, preservatives, and toxic dough conditioners. Think of balling up a soft piece of bread and spraying pesticide on it, then eating it. The preservatives extend the shelf life while shortening human life. As gluten clogs your digestive tract, everything you eat afterwards rots in your body until the toxic “food glue” finds its way out. Can you say polyps and diverticulitis?

#4. Drinking unfiltered tap water

If you don’t read Natural News regularly, you have no idea where fluoride really comes from. Get ready. Here it comes. The fluoride used in US tap water is a toxic byproduct of the phosphate mining industry in China. Dentists lie and say it’s good for your teeth. This is a 100-year-old myth that keeps them rich and in business. The myth sounds great, but the truth is scary. The fluoride in tap water is a combination of hexafluorosilicic acid and sodium silicofluoride that’s classified as hazardous waste and when packaged for transportation to the United States, is labeled as poison so the handlers know to wear their industrial safety gear. Tap water also contains toxins that aren’t filtered out at the plant, like artificial sweeteners, other people’s prescription medications, bleach, chlorine, and other heavy metal toxins like lead. Want to get rid of all this poison? Check out the most inexpensive, thorough home water filtration system on the market, the Big Berkey.

#5. Daily unfermented soy

Just since the year 2000, U.S. food manufacturers have introduced over 3,000 soy-based foods, many of which are labeled “certified organic,” but does that even matter? Did you know that the USDA’s certified organic process does not involve testing for heavy metal toxins at all? Any soy that is unfermented, whether organic or not, is linked to immune-system malfunctions, thyroid dysfunction and cognitive decline. Hundreds of health studies reveal infant abnormalities, kidney stones and food allergies. If you read about any benefits of soy, you’re really reading about fermented soy.

#6. High fructose corn syrup

Less than a decade ago, research published in Environmental Health and conducted in part by a scientist at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy revealed that high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is contaminated with the toxic heavy metal mercury. Think of most carbonated sodas, candy bars, bread, salad dressings, pizza sauce and fruit drinks for starters. Mercury is so toxic it causes severe neurological disorders, loss of hair, teeth, kidney function, and even impairs your memory. The average American may be eating five times the safety limit of mercury every day thanks to HFCS in foods. In fact, the average daily consumption of HFCS is about 50 grams (about 12 teaspoons) per person in the United States.

(Note: Learn more about other toxic food ingredients at Ingredients.news)

#7. Food dyes made with heavy metal toxins

Aluminum Lake food coloring, used to heavily coat liquid medicines for children, contains dangerous amounts of aluminum and harmful synthetic petrochemicals–carcinogens that contain petroleum, antifreeze and ammonia, causing a long list of adverse and allergic reactions in humans. Now think of most candy, cake icing, and colored ice cream.

#8. Antacids are loaded with aluminum, the number one cause of Alzheimer’s

Aluminum poisoning can lead to central nervous system (CNS) damage, like memory impairments, autism, epilepsy, mental retardation and dementia. Research shows that just 4ppm of aluminum can cause the blood to coagulate. This is what causes Alzheimer’s disease! Aluminum consumption can also be associated with the development of bone disorders, including stress fractures. How much do you know about this and the heavy metal content in your foods, drinks, cosmetics, vaccines and pharmaceuticals? (RELATED: Stay up to date on aluminum, mercury and other heavy metals at Metals.news)

Sources:

CDC.gov

News.USC.edu

The fluoride deception: TV.NaturalNews.com

BigBerkey.NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com

EHJournal.biomedcentral.com

At the recent CES 2017 expo event in Las Vegas, the Korean tech giant announced the “InstaView” fridge as the latest in cutting-edge food storage for the modern world. Equipped with a 29-inch, high-definition (HD) touchscreen display on the door, the InstaView fridge is basically a computer-slash-robot that can create shopping lists, check the weather and even set cooking timers. According to the online edition of the Daily Mail, it can even send text message notifications to users’ smartphones informing them of what needs to be purchased from the store.

Don’t feel like opening the door of the InstaView fridge to see what’s inside? No worries. The interior cameras can take a live scan and show you right on the HD display what’s there, a feature that LG claims prevents energy from being wasted — even though the camera and display both require energy to perform this function. The InstaView fridge also has its own built-in operating system that a family can use to leave each other notes or instructions, all of which the fridge itself uses to “learn” and customize features over time.

“Our Smart InstaView Door-in-Door refrigerator will allow users to enjoy their kitchen experience like never before,” announced Song Dae-Hyun, LG’s head of home appliances, before an eager tech crowd in Vegas. (Related: Stay up to date on electronic devices, privacy and surveillance technology at Glitch.news)

LG, Amazon want ‘tens of millions’ of smart devices to track people in their homes

Another so-called “feature” of LG’s InstaView fridge is that it has built-in Amazon Echo integration, allowing Amazon’s “Alexa” personal assistant to listen in on users’ conversations and “take notes.” LG is marketing the concept as an exclusive way to enhance users’ experiences with the fridge, but from a privacy perspective it implies even further risk of invasive spying or tracking by potential hackers.

And LG isn’t stopping with just the InstaView fridge; the company’s vice president of marketing, David VanderWaal, told expo attendees that, starting in 2017, LG will be equipping all of its home appliances with “advanced WiFi connectivity,” describing the change as a way to unleash “tens of millions of smart connected devices” into consumers’ homes.

This means that any future products sold by LG, whether they be televisions, washers and dryers, or even kitchen stoves and microwaves, will be equipped with wireless capabilities that connect these appliances to the outside world. In other words, it will be a world without privacy — and a hacker’s paradise — not to mention all the added electromagnetic frequencies swirling around people’s homes.

For Amazon, this brave new world will spell higher profits, as customers will be pushed by every new WiFi- or Echo-equipped appliance to purchase more Amazon products. Out of milk? Don’t worry; that InstaView fridge can tell “Alexa” to order you some more. Need more laundry detergent? Amazon’s got you covered with its Echo-integrated washers and dryers. And so on and so forth.

Following this trend is appliance manufacturer Whirlpool, which also plans to start integrating Amazon’s Alexa into its own “smart” appliances. Reports indicate that in 2017, Whirlpool plans to unveil 21 new WiFi-connected appliances that can be given verbal commands to perform various functions on their own, without human users even having to lift a finger. (Related: Follow more news on ways people are controlled in society by reading Sheeple.news)

Sources for this article include:

DailyMail.co.uk

TechHive.com

The three-year study, published January 4 in the journal Neurology, found that a diet heavy on olive oil, fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains, with moderate amounts of fish, wine and dairy, and small amounts of red meat and poultry, helped those around the age of 70 to retain more brain volume compared to those who did not strictly adhere to the Mediterranean diet.

Lead author Michelle Luciano, PhD, of the University of Edinburgh, said:

“As we age, the brain shrinks and we lose brain cells which can affect learning and memory. This study adds to the body of evidence that suggests the Mediterranean diet has a positive impact on brain health.”

Mediterranean diet provides ‘long-term protection to the brain’

The findings reflect earlier studies showing a link between the Mediterranean diet and brain health, but this study is unique, according to the authors, in that it followed the subjects over a period of time, rather than taking one-time measurements.

“In our study, eating habits were measured before brain volume was, which suggests that the diet may be able to provide long-term protection to the brain,” said Luciano.

The study involved more than 950 Scottish seniors around the age of 70 who did not suffer from dementia.

From Medical Xpress:

“Of those people, 562 had an MRI brain scan around age 73 to measure overall brain volume, gray matter volume and thickness of the cortex, which is the outer layer of the brain. From that group, 401 people then returned for a second MRI at age 76. These measurements were compared to how closely participants followed the Mediterranean diet. …

“People who didn’t follow as closely to the Mediterranean diet were more likely to have a higher loss of total brain volume over the three years than people who followed the diet more closely.”

The researchers found that those who followed the diet lost only half the amount of brain volume compared to the effects of normal aging.

No changes in cortical thickness or gray matter volume were found.

Interestingly, the researchers found – contrary to the results of other studies – that consuming more fish and less meat did not appear to have an effect, leading Luciano to suggest that other components of the Mediterranean diet may be responsible for its brain-boosting benefits, or that perhaps it’s due to “all of the components in combination.”

What exactly constitutes a Mediterranean diet?

It should be noted that the Mediterranean diet is not one particular group of dishes or ingredients – it is rather a general regional trend that includes many variations. These cuisines, which include Greek, Italian, Spanish and others, tend to contain common elements such as seafood, red wine and olive oil – all of which are produced in the Mediterranean region.

So, even though there is not one convenient definition of what constitutes the Mediterranean diet, the overall emphasis is on fresh fruits and vegetables, lean sources of protein, legumes and grains, and olive oil rather than butter.

Such a diet is not only good for the brain, but also for managing a healthy weight and preventing heart disease and diabetes. Studies have also found the diet to be effective in preventing strokes, reducing inflammation and lowering the risk of depression.

Another important difference between the Mediterranean diet and that which many Americans practice is that it includes few processed foods. Added sugar, preservatives, artificial flavorings and other questionable ingredients are a big contributor to health problems and obesity in the United States.

Any diet that includes fresh, unprocessed (preferably organic) ingredients will always be healthier than the junk that passes for food many Americans consume on a daily basis.

So, if you’d like to live to a ripe old age while keeping your mental faculties in sharp working condition, the Mediterranean diet may be right for you!

Sources:

MedicalDaily.com

MedicalXpress.com

Neurology.org

EatingWell.com

MedicalXpress.com

Thinning hair and hair loss can be caused by a wide variety of factors. One of the most common but overlooked causes is simply the use of harsh, synthetic hair products such as dyes, straighteners and permanents, or even shampoos and conditioners.

If you have ruled out this cause, then thinning hair is most likely caused by stress, nutrient deficiency or hormonal imbalance — or a combination of these factors. And all of these causes can be mitigated by careful attention to your diet.

The nutrient deficiencies most likely to cause hair loss are vitamin D, copper, zinc and the amino acid lysine. The hormonal imbalances most likely to cause the problem are insufficient levels of either testosterone or estrogen. The following foods can help correct both of these problems.

Five testosterone-boosters

Spinach is high in zinc, deficiency of which is a major cause of hair loss. Zinc also contributes to maintaining healthy testosterone levels, as well as levels of growth hormones and healthy muscles.

Black beans are also a great source of zinc, along with vitamin D. Both of these nutrients, if not present in sufficient quantities, can contribute to hair loss. Both are also linked to testosterone production.

Almonds are high in the nutrients vitamin E, potassium, magnesium and calcium, all of which play a role in testosterone production. Asparagus are also high in vitamin E and potassium — as well as folic acid, which is essential for the production of sex hormones.

Salmon is high in selenium, a trace mineral that plays a key role in the production of testosterone and thyroid hormones. Thyroid imbalance is another major cause of hair loss.

Five estrogen boosters

In both men and women, hair loss may also be caused by insufficient levels of estrogen. This problem can be helped by eating the following foods, all of which are rich in “phytoestrogens” — naturally occurring plant compounds that mimic the action of estrogen in the body.

Soy products are the most famous sources of phytoestrogens. For best health, consume natural (ideally fermented) soy in the form of tofu, tempeh, miso, natto or soy sauce. Flaxseeds are also high in phytoestrogens, as well as omega-3 fatty acids. Broccoli is a popular food that is rich in the phytoestrogens known as lignans, which are also found in beans, bran, fruits and other vegetables.

However, phytoestrogens have also been linked to endocrine-disrupting effects in the body and may produce health problems if consumed in excessive levels. If you are concerned about your estrogen or testosterone levels, you should consult a reputable health care provider.

In addition to lignans, chickpeas are also rich in isoflavonoids, another family of phytoestrogens. They are also rich in fiber and protein, which help prevent estrogen levels from climbing too high. This balancing may be part of what prevents many phytoestrogens from having the damaging effects of synthetic estrogen mimics, which are more likely to function as endocrine disruptors.

Wheat bran is another food rich in both lignans and dietary fiber. In addition to being good for your heart and your digestion, fiber also helps your hair. That’s because LDL (“bad”) cholesterol can damage the hair follicles over time, and a diet rich in fiber helps lower your LDL levels. You can get the same effects from other types of bran, such as oat, rye or barley bran.

What if your problem is stress? Chronic stress is highly dangerous, causing not only hair loss but also raising your risk of obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, lowered immunity, decrease bone density and muscle mass, and thyroid imbalance. Address stress by removing chronic stressors, learning relaxation techniques, getting more exercise and time outdoors, and eating a healthy diet — such as one rich in the foods listed above.

Sources:

Medium.com

NaturalNews.com

The new law, which went into effect on January 1, is intended to help consumers make healthier choices when ordering fast food. It’s all part of an effort to fight obesity in a province where more than half the population is either overweight or obese.

Ontario is the first Canadian province to pass such a law, which will also apply to convenience stores, grocery stores, movie theaters and coffee shops. All foods and beverages will require calorie information listed on menus, menu boards, food labels and even food posters.

Ontario Health Ministry spokesperson Shae Greenfield said:

“Ontario families have made it clear that they want more information and support to help them make healthier choices when dining out.

“This is the strongest legislation of its kind in Canada and closely aligns with the need to address province-wide health issues like obesity.”

But will the new law really help with Ontario’s obesity problem?

Are food labeling laws effective?

Even proponents of the new law admit that its implementation is likely to have a limited effect on the average person’s ordering habits, but for those who are already health-conscious, the listings will be a useful tool.

Internal medicine specialist and weight management expert, Dr. Sean Wharton, told CBC News:

“From an overall population level, I’m not so sure it’ll have the big impact that we’re actually looking for.

“I don’t think it’s going to decrease weight from a population basis, but I think an informed consumer is better at making choices and making judgements.”

It’s difficult to prove any real benefit from the implementation of such measures. New York City passed a similar law in 2008, and experts are still trying to determine if it has made any impact at all.

A 2012 study found that customers at two New York City McDonald’s locations tended to, if anything, buy higher calorie meals after the labeling law was passed.

Another more recent study found that the NYC calorie listing law “plausibly reduced the obesity rate by 2.5 percentage points.”

The evidence so far suggests that calorie labeling has a minimal effect at best for the general population, but that it will help those who are actively trying to manage their weight. Experts and health authorities argue that consumers have a right to be informed so that they can make healthy choices.

“I think it’s important for consumers to have choice,” said Joe Belfontaine, executive director of Ontario’s Heart and Stroke Foundation. “I think it’s important for consumers to have the right information.”

Did food industry lobbyists prevent sodium level listings from being required along with calorie counts?

Some have argued that the new law doesn’t go far enough, and that a food industry lobbying firm which led public consultations and wrote a report for the food labeling initiative on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Health was instrumental in preventing sodium level listings from also being required on menus, along with calorie counts.

Ontario parliament member France Gelinas said:

“The Ministry of Health knew who they were hiring, and it stinks. It’s terrible.”

Food labeling laws, watered-down or not, are unlikely to make a huge dent in obesity rates. Although such labeling is undoubtedly useful for a small percentage of the population, the question is whether the cost to restaurant chains is worth the benefit for the few consumers who actually count their calories when ordering a fast food meal.

Tackling obesity begins with the individual, and anyone who is truly serious about losing weight should be avoiding fast food and restaurant chains to begin with.

Sources:

CBC.ca

TorontoSun.com

AJPH.AlphaPublications.org

GlobalNews.ca

If you’re really a vegetarian or want to be one, you don’t go around eating that “other white meat” or “only chicken” and pretend like you’re an herbivore. Chicken and fish are animals too, or did you not learn that in elementary school? Yes, vegetarians still eat eggs and cheese and liquid coffee creamer, and that’s because you don’t have to kill animals to get those. Vegans won’t consume animals or anything that even comes from an animal, just in case you’re wondering about those “rules” of engagement. So please, you “occasional” carnivores, stop calling yourselves vegetarians, because you’re not, at least not yet.

You gotta have chicken, right? Actually, no you don’t

Most people who want to be a vegetarian simply won’t because they can’t give up their chicken. They can accept the fact that a true vegetarian would give up cow, fish, pigs and turkeys, but they just can’t imagine anyone living on planet earth without having their “cake” (chicken) and eating it too. What’s your poison? Is it baked chicken, fried chicken, barbecued chicken, or chicken Kiev? Do you just “gotta” have that chicken sandwich, those chicken nuggets, or those chicken fingers? What about those buffalo wings on Super Bowl Sunday? Yeah, we know… you’re not really a vegetarian, but a “wanna be.”

Do you know the “condition” of the chicken meat you’re consuming regularly? Learn about CAFOs

Most vegetarians are non-meat eaters for more than one reason. First of all, animals, for the most part, are thoroughly abused in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) their entire shortened lives before they are inhumanely butchered and packaged up all neat and clean at the grocer. Chickens especially are fed genetically modified, pesticide-laden feed, shot up with artificial growth hormones and antibiotics (to stave off disease), and they live on and in their own feces, walking around on top of other dead and dying chickens, and the breeders couldn’t care less. Secondly, vegetarians don’t like the way they used to feel after eating meat, because it’s very taxing on the digestive system to break down meat and get to those amino acids, which is the true “protein” the meat eaters all brag about anyway.

Do you really think chicken doesn’t count as “meat” or can you just not give it up? Unravel the meat myths

You probably fell hook, line and sinker for the meat myth. What’s the meat myth? That if you eat less red meat, you’re better off. Lie! You probably still associate animal production with nostalgic images in your head of family farming and happy animals roaming about the countryside, eating natural food and enjoying the sunshine. What’s tricking you–those pictures over the butcher station at the supermarket? Those cow’s holding funny signs in the Chick-fil-A advertisements? What they should be showing you, if they were honest, would be 25,000 birds crammed in a broiler shed, caked with their own feces and suffering from sicknesses, disease-causing pathogens and superbug infections too grim and gross to even describe here.

In case you’re unaware, 9 billion chickens are killed for their flesh every year in the US, and most of them spend their entire lives in total confinement, from the day they are hatched until the day their heads are cut off. The CDC estimates that contaminated meat and poultry-related infections account for over 3 million people getting sick every year, of which at least 1,000 die. Animal waste is the primary source of infectious bacteria, including Salmonella and E. coli.

Want to be healthy and truly a vegetarian? Drop the chicken. You don’t “have” to have it. Try substituting some fried organic vegetables and your favorite meatless sauces and you’ll never even tell the difference, except for the way you feel, which is much better!

Sources:

CAFOTheBook.org

CAFOTheBook.org

YouTube.com

TruthWiki.org